*** Gay-Friendly DVDs, version 4.0 (1 Viewer)

[Alan Light]

I just received notice that my order of The Journey Of Jared Price DVD was just shipped to me by buy.com. I don't know much about the film at all, except what I read in this review. http://www.filethirteen.com/reviews/...jaredprice.htm

 

[Alan Light]

I've heard nothing about a DVD release of The Wedding Banquet or Jeffrey., unfortunately. Jeffrey is available on DVD in Region 2 (U.K.). It's full frame.

 

[Mark-W]

Hey Alan-
You are a braver man than me. I have
The Journey of Jared Price in
my rental queue at netflix, but even based on
that review you linked to, I may only feel so-so
about this title.
I like films that have nice production values,
and a film shot in 6 days on video tape, with a
"hurried" quality to them just leave me wanting...
Still, it will be interesting to compare notes
on that one, eh?
I should get my rental copy in the next couple of
weeks...
As a side note,
has anyone found themselves loving a film more
each time they see it?
I used to think Carrington was such
a depressing film, but the more I see it, the more
the understated love between the leads opens up
like a rose blossom. Now I find it to be one of the
most profound, beautiful relationships
committed to celluloid.
Now that I love that film, and wish there was a DVD for
me to pop into my DVD changer...ah well..

Mark

 

[Mark-W]

Here are the DVD specs on
The Broken Hearts Club:
Widescreen: 2.35:1,
Enhanced for 16X9 TVs,
Pan & Scan, Color, 5.1 Dolby Digital,
Surround, Additional Languages: French,
Subtitles: English, French, Closed Captioned,
Region 1
Features: Audio Commentary by writer/director Greg Berlanti and the producer, Deleted Footage with commentary
Andrew Keegan's Screen Test
Sounds like a "buy me!" to me!

Mark

 

[Alan Light]

Yes, Broken Hearts Club is a definite buy.
I watched The Journey Of Jared Price last night. My expectations were rather low and I was pleasantly surprised. You could even say amazing for a film shot in only 6 days on digital video.
It has some absolutely wonderful scenes and moments - quite few of them, in fact. Jared Price would make a heartwarming hour-long film along the lines of the short films in Boys Life 1. Unfortunately, Jared Price is 93 minutes long. Easily 30 minutes of pointless scenes could have been removed to make a better film. There are slow periods between the wonderful scenes - a several-minute encounter with a clerk at a youth hostel is pointless, for example, and scenes seem extended sometimes just to pad for time (Jared cleaning, Jared walking around, Jared having sex...yeah I even found myself wishing sex scenes were shortened up a bit).
For example, Jared works as helper to an elderly blind woman who insists upon being notified every time someone comes to the door before Jared can let them in. So the doorbell rings, Jared says who is it, runs off to find the woman, tells her who it is, she says o.k. let 'em in, he runs back and opens the door. Minutes of screen time wasted for what? Pointless.
In fact, after I watched the film yesterday I sat down and made my own 62-minute edit of the film, taking out all the slow-as-molasses padding and a few scenes with bad acting - and I ended up with a very fine little film indeed.
The film left me with a very good feeling and a genuine fondness for the characters.
The DVD also contains a really entertaining Behind The Scenes segment (10 minutes) and the cast blooper reel (5 minutes).

 

[Mikel_Cooperman]

Has anyone seen the previews for the upcoming Gay coming of age story called, Nico and Dani? its a foreign film and it looks very good. I saw the preview before Billy Elliot.

 

[Mikel_Cooperman]

Broken Hearts isnt exactly lite. It deals with some great topics like dating, friendship, drug abuse, relationships etc.
I saw this in the theatre and I say two thumbs up.

 

[Mark-W]

Has anyone seen the gay Asian film Gohatto?
(The US title is Taboo per Ebert last week.)
Here is the link to their audio review from
last week's At The Movies show: http://asp.tvplex.go.com/ebertandthe...=movie&id=3818
Roger is sooo funny when he is defending
gay cinema. MAN THAT MAN IS COOL!
Roeper clearly didn't like the film,
buy Ebert thought it was pretty cool.
The all codes DVD can be purchased here:
http://us.yesasia.com/prdDept.asp?section=videos&code=a&lang=en&pid=1001800390&aid=275 00
Ebert and Roeper were arguing about it last week
on At The Movies: Ebert loved it, Roeper
felt "creeped out by it."
Here is the plot in a nutshell:
18th or 19th Century samarai training camp,
beautiful young gay man comes to camp,
and promptly starts having affairs with
the other samarai-in-training.
I am tempted to buy it based on Ebert's wonderfully
positive comments (when he and Roeper were arguing,
it became really clear that what creeped Roeper out
was all these men drooling over this underage guy).
Also, it is from the same director who created
In The Realm of The Senses which
is widely loved and admired.
If anyone has seen it theatrically, or already owns
the DVD, let me know.
Apparently the DVD is region-free, and I assume
NTSC, though yesasia does not state NTSC for it.
(Also, I got Iron Ladies today,
and it says it is NTSC on the box.
I'll find out tonight when I pop it in my APEX.)
Cheers!
Mark

 

[Mark-W]

Anyone else here find Jean-Marc Barr
(from the film The Big Blue)
a bit, well....delightful?
He has a film coming to DVD on February 20th,
called, Don't Let Me Die On Sunday.
In it, he apparently plays a man who "bats for
both teams."
I will be renting it, though mid-terms are hitting
about then, and post my response.
And I am still waiting to see a copy of
The Journey of Jared Price,
but I also have my quota of DVDs out from
netflix.
Cheers!
Mark

 

[Alan Light]

The Big Blue is one of my favorite films, in part because of the handsome magnetism of Jean-Marc Barr.
I did a little internet search on Don't Let Me Die On Sunday and find that it's original title was J'aimerais Pas Crever Un Dimanche (1998). Unfortunately it sounds like a title to avoid at all costs. There was a scathing review in The New York Times here (registration required to view it): http://www.nytimes.com/library/film/...lm-review.html
The critic calls it a "grim little morsel" and "a brain dead film" about a man (Jean-Marc) who is an attendant at a morgue who has sex with a female corpse. If he bats for "both teams" they must mean the living and the dead.
You can find more reviews of the film at this site: http://www.mrqe.com/lookup?J%27aimer...er+un+dimanche

 

[Mark-W]

Alan-
Thanks for the "heads up." I will
still rent it from netflix, only because
I could watch Jean-Marc eat mushrooms for
two hours and think it was a masterpiece.
Also, Urbania
(which I have also not seen),
is available for pre-order on DVD.
It streets on March 13.
Now the only reason I am buying
that title sight unseen (and it has had good reviews)
is because any film Matt Keeslar is
in where he plays a gay guy needs to be
in my DVD collection!
Here is where you can see the trailer:
http://movies.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?movieid=60001794
Also, I have heard good things about
The Five Senses, which
has gay-elements, but doesn't appear to be
gay-centric. It stars Marco Leonardi,
(of Cinema Paradiso and Like Water
For Chocolate fame) and Mary-Louise Parker.
It is on DVD now.
Here is a link to its trailer:
http://movies.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?movieid=60000851
later,
Mark

 

[John Koehler]

Re: Urbania - "Your Life can Change in a Second!" "Heard any good stories lately?"
Got hold of a screener last night.
Without any preparation, no knowledge of critical reaction, no synopsis, I dove into this film without any expectations. For some 40 minutes into the picture, I was growing tired and irritated with a relentless non-lineartity to the narrative. Gradually I realized that some scenes were real (to the story), some imagined, some dreamed. There is a strong and uncompromised gay theme which sustained my interest through this vexatious intro.
Then, so frustrated and bewildered, or just so impatient that I was literally on the verge of shutting the thing off, suddenly and without warning the puzzle pieces began to take shape. I was now hooked!
This is not a Citizen Kane (though as a first effort like Welles' film, it comes surprisingly close), but the reaction to the non-linear narrative I had must have been similar to audience reaction in 1941 to the Welles flashback masterpiece. Once you begin to understand, the layers of character and theme become clearer and clearer until a damned fascinating climax, in the case of Urbania, one of some political significance to gay men, but not exclusively so.
This is on my BUY list for DVD! Rare is the movie that stays with me, imagery and characters, places and themes. Kane was one such experience. Vertigo another. Now: Urbania. Congratulations to director/writer Jon Shear and crew! Lead star Dan Futterman's portrayal of a gay man who suffers supreme loss is compelling. His tears so real he must be doing more than acting. What a superb job he does in this film. In fact, I think I am in love with him!
There is a good review at IMDB: Link Removed
And the movie website has more information: http://www.urbaniamovie.com
What I would like to know, how many of cast and crew are "family?" Can a film like this be made without some personal involvement beyond mere artistic commitment?

 

[Keilan]

I have to agree with you on Urbania. At first, the movie was a bit confusing to follow, but after all the pieces fell into place, I was haunted for days.
Even if the movie had not created the impact it did for me,
I would still purchase this title for the subtle, but amazing job Dan Futterman did.
Especially his self-love scene

 

[Michael Allred]

UK "Queer As Folk 2" comes to Region 1 DVD next month.
Yay!

 

[Mark-W]

That is good news, Michael.
It will be interesting to see how it
has changed from the region 2 dvd.
Well, I got a chance to watch
THE FIVE SENSES,
so here is my take on it:
Specs:
Region 1 coded, NTSC
Presented in both
Anamorphic Widescreen
and Open Matt
Dolby Stereo sound,
French and English audio tracks,
optional subtitles in English and French.
Special Features: trailer and cast & crew filmographies
Film rating ****1/2 (out of five)
Well, for those of you who love the
work of Atom Egoyan, this film should be a real treat!
(It is not his work, but it sure feels a bit like
his work.)
The film gets it name from the Oscar Wilde quote,
"Nothing can cure the soul but the senses...
Just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul."
The film revolves around several characters
who are having personal issues which also
manifest in the five senses: an eye doctor
is loosing his hearing, and masseuse is having
trouble reaching out to her daughter, a cook
makes decorative cakes that don't taste very good,
(which her fresh-off-the-airplane-Italian-lover
makes clear to her,
though neither speaks much of the other's language),
and a bisexual man is seeking the love of his life
through his sense of smell. All of the stories
link together through a story of a little girl
who goes missing. At that point I was very much
reminded of The Sweet Hereafter,
but this film, while as beautiful, isn't as bleak
as that one.
The film is lathered in beautiful photography that
at any given time would be suitable for framing on
your wall.
The film really deals with intimacy issues,
damaged souls and how they get repaired (or not)
and it does so in such a tender way.
(This is a rushed review,
so there is much I am not saying here...)
Bisexuality is dealt with very matter-of-factly,
and while I wouldn't call this film "gay-centered,"
it certainly feels like it was tailored to us.
I loved it. And for a film to get me so entranced
that I keep watching it at 4am on the night before a
difficult Computer Science exam is something!
The cast includes Marco Leonardi
and Mary-Louise Parker.
To see a trailer, follow this link: http://www.fivesensesmovie.com/trailer.html
Cheers!
Mark

 

[Alan Light]

Thanks for the recommendation of The Five Senses, Mark. It sounds good, so I've ordered it.

 

[Mark-W]

It kind of makes me nervous that someone
would spend money based on my comments,
but thanks, Alan.
I just watched The Five Senses again tonight with my mother
(gee, how much of a stereotype can I be?)
and the impact of the film is not lessened
with repeat viewings.
When watching the credits tonight, I did
notice that both John Greyson and
Atom Egoyan are thanked.
Also, the bus driver from
The Sweet Hereafter plays one
of the most significant characters.
The lead bisexual guy is played by the
guy who was Bob Mizer in Beefcake.
(I can be a bit "slow" at times.)
I finally got my copy of Gohatto
on DVD, and I have to say I am a bit lukewarm
about it. The DVD is 1.66:1, non-anamorphic,
with optional English subtitles.
It was surprizingly gory: In one early scene,
Kano, the gay boy who is the object of so much
attention from the other Samurai, decapitates a man,
and it is pretty gruesome.
The story was okay, nice twists and turns,
but I did not care about anyone...which I suspose
is MY weakness. I really need to care to get
invested in a film. It is by the same director
as In The Realm of The Senses, which
is one of those "landmark" films for its sensuality.
I got the DVD off of eBay (it is NTSC, region-free)
and it can also be bought at websites like http://www.yesasia.com
Regards,
Mark

 

[Dave L]

Not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but "Before Night Falls," the new Julian Schnabel film is an excellent film about gay Cuban writer Reinaldo Arenas. Any gay person who begins to feel a little sympathetic to Castro need only check out this film to harden his/her stance. Terrific performance by Javier Bardem. The director has done a great job of evoking Cuba and the harassment and penalties suffered by gays there under Castro.
It's a demanding film, although our attention never faltered during its 2 1/2 hour running time. Looking forward to the DVD, which, given this type of film, could be out soon as this doesn't look like a film with mass appeal.
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[John Berggren]

Since MGM is coming to HTF to chat on March 6th I thought it might be a good time to ask them to do a nice SE of Jeffrey (with all of our standard requested features).
I've been wanting Jeffrey since I got my first DVD player. It would be nice if they released it soon and treated it well. It seems that MGM doesn't necessarily think that their gay films need the best treatment. Six Degrees of Seperation was treated to 16x9 but the transfer on Longtime Companion was horrible from what I've heard (I chose not to buy it after looking forward to it for months).
Anyone else intend to attend the chat and express interest in this title?
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[Michael Allred]

I just read that Showtime's "Queer As Folk" will see a DVD release this December and that it'll be a bit more racy.
I will assume that it'll be a box set of the first season (ala "The Sopranos") & that it'll be in widescreen.
So has anyone else heard about this at all?